Stable and Stackable Tray with Receptacle for Beverage Container and Thumbholds for Secure Grip

ABSTRACT

A stackable food and beverage service apparatus for use by a person to support food and a beverage in a single hand with ergonomic thumb holds for grip support. The apparatus comprises an upper surface on one side and a recessed surface on the other side. The recessed surface is for holding food, whereas the upper surface includes a beverage receptacle and two opposing thumb holds offset to either side of the beverage receptacle. A user can securely grip the apparatus with the left or right thumb while the fingertips support the bottom of the recessed surface. A raised rim around the periphery keeps food in the recessed surface and separated from the beverage receptacle and the thumb holds.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application claims priority benefit from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/791,212, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated by reference in the present Application.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Portions of this disclosure contain material in which copyright isclaimed by the applicant. The applicant has no objection to the copyingof this material in the course of making copies of the application fileor any patents that may issue on the application, but all other rightswhatsoever in the copyrighted material are reserved.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a stackable food supportdevice with beverage holding capacity and ergonomic thumb holds for gripsupport.

At a party, picnic, social function or gathering that either employs abuffet or stations for the service of food and beverages, it has beenextremely difficult for a person to accumulate and support both food andbeverage in a secure and ergonomic fashion such that the person can holdthe food and beverage with one hand while being able to consume the foodand beverage using the other. To do so, the partygoer would have toeither set the food plate and/or beverage container down on a table orother surface in order to be able to ingest one or the other providingthere is ample, convenient space for the partygoer to put down the plateand/or beverage container. Otherwise, the partygoer may end up standingaround with a plate of food in one hand and the beverage container inthe other. This predicament makes it extremely difficult for thepartygoer to eat the food on the plate since the other hand is occupiedwith a drink. It also makes it impossible to entertain and greet anotherguest or simply shake hands. This forces the partygoer to choose betweenhaving either a beverage or food, but not both at any given time, inorder to be socially active in a social setting.

Although other devices have been designed over the course of time, noneof them have given a person the ability to accommodate both food andbeverages in one surface in a completely secure and comfortable mannerwith one hand while keeping the other hand free to handle a utensil orto perform other tasks such as shaking the hand of another person. Theseother devices still leave the user feeling insecure in the ability toprevent accidents and spilling on their own. Other devices, whether witha receptacle mounted on the side or at the center of the food surfaceplate, are complicated to handle and are still unstable. They requirethe user to balance the surface or tend to be otherwise unwieldy if thefood and beverage aren't distributed evenly.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,693 is specific to supporting aparticular beverage container of certain size or shape primarily in thecenter of the plate. Due to the design, the beverage container willshift according to plate balance and leveling. This center placementdoes not make it easy for the palm of the hand to support the flatbottom center portion of the entirety of the device, thusly rendering itunstable. Furthermore, the division of sections on the top or face ofthe plate immediately limits the user and throws off the weight balanceas food or other items are placed on the plate. Most of the surface ofthe device is occupied by either negative space for gripping or thebeverage compartment, leaving a minimal surface area for food stuffs.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,052 requires not only support, but for the user tobalance the plate between either thumb and fore-finger on one side or byholding it from the beverage container itself which is located in areceptacle in the center of the device. Accidental tilting of the platecould cause substantial tipping of the food stuffs either toward theuser onto his or her person, or away from the user onto others and ontothe floor, etc. Moreover, as there is no lip surrounding the opening forthe beverage receptacle, food stuffs may get pushed towards and adhereto the beverage vessel itself or spill through the opening when thebeverage is removed from the opening.

The present invention is particularly adaptable for use in an ergonomic,stackable, disposable tray configuration which can hold both food and abeverage while being supported in a balanced, secure and comfortablemanner with one hand. The present invention allows the user to have a“free” hand to be used for handling a utensil to consume the food andbeverage held on the tray, as well as to interact with others in asocial setting using a free hand.

This invention provides an ergonomic and stable stackable food surfaceand beverage receptacle inclusive in one device. The device has twocorresponding and opposed thumb holds so either a left-handed orright-handed person can easily and safely secure the surface in one handwhile eating, drinking and socializing using the other. The surface mayinclude a lip or rim around the perimeter to prevent food from slidingoff or spilling. The beverage receptacle will be at one end of the foodsurface, to the center and proximate both of the thumb hold openings.The beverage is placed in the receptacle allowing the user to place foodfor consumption on the tray surface with their other hand. The user maythe use the free hand to alternate between: (a) taking a drink of thebeverage and replacing it in the receptacle on the tray; (b) using autensil to eat; (c) shake hands or perform other social actions with thefree hand; or (d) use the free hand for any other purpose as desiredwhile still comfortably holding the tray with the food and beverage inone hand.

In one embodiment, the device of the present invention may bemanufactured from materials such as cardboard, paper, polystyrene,plastic, metal (e.g. aluminum), wood (e.g. bamboo), hardened rubber,composite material, glass, porcelain or fiberglass, as well as any otherdisposable materials that are either first generation or recycled.Dividers of different shapes and sizes might be added to the surface toseparate foods. Construction could be readily adaptable to existingplates by the use of a die or other device, which would manipulate anexisting disposable plate of paper, plastic, etc.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a simple, inexpensiveand disposable food surface plate or tray in which to insert a beveragecontainer that may be adaptable at any time for various users of variousbeverage types. In another embodiment, due to the stability and securityprovided by the ergonomic thumb holds, there is provided an improvedtray that holds food and beverages simultaneously, thereby permittingthe user to have a free hand. In yet another embodiment, the presentinvention provides an improved ergonomic tray with beverage receptaclewhich is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

The present invention offers a unique combination of features and thesecure, ergonomic grip system at a reasonable cost and withoutsubstantial investment in redesigning current tray manufacturingsystems. Numerous other advantages and features of the invention willbecome readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferredmanifestation of the invention, from the claims, and from theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to describe itsoperation, reference will now be made, by way of example, to theaccompanying drawings. The drawings show different embodiments of thepresent invention in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 4 shows a first side view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 5 shows a second side view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view of one end of a tray with thecupholder and opposing thumbholds;

FIG. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of one end of a tray with thecupholder and opposing thumbholds;

FIGS. 8A-8D show various views of the tray with a user's hand holdingthe tray and the tray supporting food items and a beverage in acontainer;

FIGS. 9-10 show a top perspective view and a bottom perspective viewrespectively of an alternative embodiment of a tray; and

FIG. 11 shows a tray of FIGS. 1-8 with dividers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the inventionmay be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed aslimited to the embodiments set forth herein. Throughout the FIGS. 1-11,like elements of the invention are referred to by the same referencenumerals for consistency purposes.

The present invention provides an apparatus that allows a user toeasily, securely and comfortably hold food and beverage for consumptionin one hand while being able to fully engage in normal activitiesencountered in a social setting with the other hand. This device notonly allows the user to easily, comfortably and securely hold both foodand beverage with one hand, but also allows a person to have a hand freeto interact with others in a social environment without the need to finda table or other surface on which to place food, a beverage or both. Thedevice is referred to throughout the specification as a tray or a plate,but it should be understood that these terms are not intended to belimiting with respect to the functionality of the device.

A tray 100 of the present invention is polygonal, meaning that it maytake on any shape, including but not limited to an oval, a circle, asquare, a rectangular or a free form design. Tray or plate 100 comprisesa recessed portion or surface 105 formed in a majority of the surfacearea of tray 100 to one side, and an upper portion or surface 110contiguously formed around a rim 115 of the recessed portion. Recessedsurface 105 comprises an area for holding food stuffs, whereas uppersurface 110 comprises an area with a beverage receptacle 120 and twoopenings 125 a-b to accommodate either one of a user's thumb. A largeportion of tray 100 is allocated to recessed surface 105 for holdingfood. While recessed surface 105 may be less than 50%, it's preferablethat it occupy at least 50% and up to 80% or more of the surface area ofthe present device to maximize the food that can be supported in asingle serving by tray 100.

In FIG. 1, rim 115 surrounding recessed portion 105 forms a bowl-shapedarea to prevent spilling of food stuffs from tray 100. FIGS. 1-7 showrecessed portion 105 is generally kidney bean shaped and approximately 9inches across in the longer dimension and 7.5 inches across thedimension where the side bends in towards the center. In an alternativeembodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, tray 100 is generally oval shaped andapproximately fourteen inches in length and nine and one half inches inwidth. In yet another alternative embodiment, the tray is approximatelyfifteen inches in length and ten inches in width. It should beunderstood that the specific dimensions of tray 100 may be altered whileretaining the general functionality of a well-balanced tray beingsupported by one hand. An opening at the side where tray 100 issupported by the hand includes a beverage receptacle 120 for a cuplocated proximate the thumb openings to ensure the stability of the trayeven when the cup is full of liquid and is placed in beverage receptacle120.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of tray 100. As can be seen in FIG. 2, uppersurface 110 of tray 100 includes circular beverage receptacle 120 andtwo openings 125 a-b that work as thumb holds, each being offset toeither side of beverage receptacle 120. Openings 125 a-b can beconfigured in various shapes with the objective being to provide apassage in tray 100 through which a user's thumb may be comfortablyinserted to allow easy positioning of the hand to support tray 100.Stability is provided by either a user's left or right thumb on top incombination with the fingers on the same hand below, depending on whichopening is used. Beverage receptacle 120 can be in various shapes andsizes to accommodate beverage containers of various shapes and sizes. Inthe oval shaped embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, tray 100 is approximately 12.5inches across from rim 115 to edge 130 at the side of beveragereceptacle 120 and 10 inches across from one side of rim 115 to theother on either side of recessed surface 105. In the same embodiment,circular beverage receptacle 110 is approximately three inches indiameter, and each opening for the user's thumb is generally in theshape of an equilateral triangle with each leg of the triangle beingapproximately two inches.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of tray 100. Recessed surface 105 is shownprotruding below upper surface 110 and is generally flat on the bottom.Rim 115 has an upwardly rounded shape formed around the entire peripheryof tray 100 including around recessed surface 105. A flat edge 130surrounds the outer portion of rim 115. Flat edge 130 is visuallyappealing and when combined with rounded rim 115 and the differentlevels of recessed surface 105 and upper surface 110 provides structuralrigidity to tray 100 minimizing the risk of bending or breaking underthe weight of food or other items placed on tray 100. In FIG. 3, it canbe seen that a continuous recessed surface sidewall 135 of recessedsurface 105 is slightly tapered from rim 115. Also shown in FIG. 3 isdownward protruding beverage receptacle sidewall 140. Beveragereceptacle sidewall 140 may be tapered between upper surface 110 and alower edge of beverage receptacle sidewall 140 to add stability whileholding a beverage container placed in tray 100. In addition, taperingof recessed surface sidewall 135 and receptacle sidewall 140 allows fortwo or more trays to be stacked one on top of another in a nested mannerwhile keeping the stack stable and using a minimum amount of spacebetween stacked trays.

The bottom of openings 125 a-b are also visible in FIG. 3. Like beveragereceptacle 120, each of openings 125 a-b may have a downward protrudingopening sidewall 145 a-b. Opening sidewalls 145 a-b may also be tapered,although the depth of such sidewalls should be sufficiently shallow androunded to avoid interfering with a comfortable position that a user'shand occupies when inserting a thumb through opening 125 to grasp tray100.

The resulting stackability of tray 100 from the design elementsdescribed improves packaging options for wholesale, retail and displaypurposes. It should be understood that the size and shape of thedifferent elements are for the purpose of this description, but can bereadily adjusted according to manufacturing and market needs. Theinvention can be produced as a generic device or branded and logoedbased on market needs and tastes.

FIGS. 4-5 show two different side views of tray 100 in an upside downorientation. In these views, the relative depths of receptacle sidewall140, opening sidewall 145 and recessed surface sidewall 135 can be seen.The depth of receptacle sidewall 140 and recessed surface sidewall 135are approximately the same at approximately 0.75 inches while openingsidewall 125 is relatively, much smaller at approximately 0.25 inches.

FIGS. 6-7 show top and bottom perspective views respectively of one endof tray 100 with beverage receptacle 120 and opposing thumbhold openings125 a-b. In these views, the configuration of beverage receptacle 120and openings 125 a-b can be seen.

FIGS. 8A-8D show various views of tray 100 with a user's hand holdingtray 800 and tray 100 supporting food items and a beverage in acontainer. A user's left thumb is inserted through opening 125 a whilethe user's left hand index finger wraps around recessed surface sidewall135 on the bottom of tray 100 while the user's other left handfingertips contact and support the bottom of tray 100 from belowrecessed surface 105. In all views of FIGS. 8A-8D, the user is able tohold tray 100 with the left hand supporting food in recessed surface 105and a drink in a container inserted in beverage receptacle 120 whileleaving the right hand free to handle a utensil or perform other actionsas desired. It should be understood that the user could alternativelyinsert a right thumb through opening 125 b to hold tray 100 therebyleaving the left hand free.

FIGS. 9-10 show a top perspective view and a bottom perspective viewrespectively of an alternative embodiment of tray 100. In tray 100 inFIGS. 9-10, recessed surface 105 is round in shape and sidewall 135 ismuch less pronounced. In addition, beverage receptacle sidewall 140 andopening sidewalls 145 a-b are also much less pronounced while rim 115 israised above upper surface 110 around the outside periphery of recessedsurface 105 on the side of tray 100 farthest away from beveragereceptacle 120. In this alternative embodiment, edge 130 does notinclude an extended flat portion as in the first embodiment.

Any embodiment of tray 100 can be constructed with disposable materials.These materials include, but are not limited to, pressed or formedpaper, injection molded or pressed plastic or molded inexpensivewood/cardboard products such as bamboo. Tray 100 can be constructed fromeither first generation or recyclable materials. Alternatively, tray 100can be constructed with more durable and permanent materials such aswood, metal, heavier and rigid plastic, porcelain or china.

As shown in FIG. 11, tray 100 may be optionally configured with one ormore dividers 1200, thereby dividing recessed surface 105 into two ormore sub-areas. An example of tray 100 with dividers 1200 is shown inFIG. 11. The sub-areas created by dividers 1200 may be of differentshapes and sizes. One of ordinary skill in the art would be able toreadily arrange dividers 1200 of different configuration to maximize theefficiency for holding different types of food items in the differentsub-areas.

When the embodiment of tray 100 shown in FIGS. 1-8 and 11 is in use, auser can take a tray 100 from a stack, or however they may be displayedat the user's discretion. Whether left or right hand, the user willplace the appropriate thumb through either of thumb openings 125 a-b,and lightly grip the device between thumb, inserted through opening 125a-b and contacting the top of upper surface 110, and fingertips of thesame hand supporting tray 100 from below by contacting the bottom ofrecessed surface 105. Alternatively, for the embodiment shown in FIGS.9-10, when at thumb is inserted through either opening 125 a-b, thethumb contacts upper surface by receptacle 120 and the palm of the samehand rests comfortably underneath tray 100, covering a significantportion of recessed surface 105, offering complete comfort and stabilityto avoid spillage, imbalance and general unwieldiness. The user willthen proceed to fill recessed portion 105 with foodstuffs and insert abeverage container in beverage receptacle 120 on upper surface 110. Withtray 100 in a single hand securely and comfortably holding both food anddrink, the user is free to navigate a social setting with confidence,ready to use the free hand to eat and drink, and engage in socialinteractions as desired or required. The user may alternate betweeneating and drinking without needing to find a horizontal surface such asa table or ledge to be able to eat and drink with ease.

While the invention has been described with respect to the figures, itwill be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Any variation and derivation from the above description anddrawings are included in the scope of the present invention as definedby the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for holding food and a beveragecontainer with one hand, comprising: an upper surface on a first side ofthe apparatus and extending around a periphery of the apparatus; arecessed surface on a second side of the apparatus and surrounded by theupper surface extending around the periphery; a beverage receptacle inthe upper surface on the first side; and a pair of openings in the uppersurface on the first side to either side of the beverage receptacle in ashape permitting a user's thumb to pass through.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1 configured in a shape from among the group comprising: (a)circular; (b) oval; and (c) rectangular.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1constructed of a material from among the group comprising: (a)cardboard; (b) paper; (c) polystyrene; (d) plastic; (e) metal; (f) wood;(g) hardened rubber; (h) composite; (i) glass; (j) porcelain; and (k)fiberglass.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the material is eitherfirst generation or recycled.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising at least one divider in the recessed surface.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one divider creates at leasttwo sub-areas in the recessed surface.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1further comprising a flat edge portion extending around the periphery ofthe apparatus.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a recessedsurface sidewall positioned between the upper surface and the recessedsurface.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a beveragereceptacle sidewall extending down from the upper surface at theperiphery of the beverage receptacle.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8wherein the recessed surface sidewall is tapered between the uppersurface and the recessed surface.
 11. A method of using an apparatus forholding food and a beverage container with one hand, comprising:providing an upper surface of the apparatus on a first side of theapparatus wherein the upper surface extends around a periphery of theapparatus; providing a recessed surface on a second side of theapparatus surrounded by the upper surface extending around theperiphery; providing a beverage receptacle in the first side of theupper surface; and providing a pair of openings in the first side of theupper surface to either side of the beverage receptacle; inserting athumb of a user through one of the openings in the upper surface andcontacting the upper surface with the thumb; and contacting andsupporting a bottom surface of the recessed surface with one or more ofthe user's fingertips.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatusis configured in a shape from among the group comprising: (a) circular;(b) oval; and (c) rectangular.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein theapparatus is constructed of a material from among the group comprising:(a) cardboard; (b) paper; (c) polystyrene; (d) plastic; (e) metal; (f)wood; (g) hardened rubber; (h) composite; (i) glass; (j) porcelain; and(k) fiberglass.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the material iseither first generation or recycled.
 15. The method of claim 11 whereinthe apparatus further comprises at least one divider in the recessedsurface.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one dividercreates at least two sub-areas in the recessed surface.
 17. The methodof claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a flat edge portionextending around the periphery of the apparatus.
 18. The method of claim11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a recessed surface sidewallpositioned between the upper surface and the recessed surface.
 19. Themethod of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a beveragereceptacle sidewall extending from the upper surface at the periphery ofthe beverage receptacle.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the recessedsurface sidewall is tapered between the upper surface and the recessedsurface